Ageing
Why Familiar Faces Change as We Grow Older
Why familiar faces change as we grow older: understand how features and expressions shift, and recognise the person…
The journal
All stories
Read essays and close looks at the shifting meanings of beauty, from personal style and ageing to the culture behind appearance ideals.
Style
Personal Style or Dress Code: Two Different Ways to Get Dressed
Personal style or dress code? Learn how to read an occasion, choose what matters most, and make an outfit feel…
Beauty Culture
The Beauty Ideal in the Portrait Gallery
The beauty ideal in portrait galleries shifts with pose, dress and setting. Learn how to read each portrait in its own…
Self-Image
The Mirror Myth: Why One Glance Cannot Settle How You Look
The mirror myth turns one fleeting view into a verdict. See how angle, setting and attention shape your impression…
Aesthetics
A Museum Visit for Noticing What Makes an Object Beautiful
A museum visit for noticing what makes an object beautiful: follow a slow route through one room and compare shape…
Our point of view
Beauty changes; attention makes it last
We look past quick verdicts to consider the stories, choices and changing ideals behind appearance. Beauty can be personal, cultural and wonderfully hard to pin down.